Ideation futures

Design ideation, despite the computer revolution, may still project or conjure up the romantic notion of the lone genius or inventor coming up with brilliant or breakthrough ideas. However, the reality of everyday ideation is more collaborative and down to earth; designers building on what is already out there in the world, reconsidering, remodelling or recombining existing states of thinking or being. Yet adding the latest digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, AI, ideation continues to trigger "what if?" questions and scenarios exploring new ways of thinking and doing. However, AI, in the context of design thinking characterised by "trial and error" and "problem solving", is largely fed and scripted by human, or natural language and these inputs, directly or through feedback loops, influence outcomes which, moreover need to be evaluated and explained by humans, and whether in forms of simple suggestions, complete proposals or elaborate narratives. Ideation futures, then, is not so much about any perceived dichotomy between AI and human intelligence, or whether AI can match or even surpass human intelligence, but rather how computers can complement and augment human creativity, not replacing it. In short, interactions between AI and human intelligence to enhance human judgment and aesthetic sensibilities.